Kosmos Sighthounds Puppy Buyer Questionnaire Kosmos Sighthounds PO Box 2923 Alice Springs NT 0871 0401926960 www.webcetera.net.au/kosmos The following questions will help me to determine if a Kosmos puppy is the right fit for you and your family, and also to make sure you are aware of certain aspects of owning an Italian Greyhound. Do the best you can in answering the questions - there are no right nor wrong answers, and there is no such thing as too detailed! If you are not comfortable answering any of the questions, simply leave them out. I will judge from the answers I get, and also from talking to you once the questionnaire has been returned, whether you and your lifestyle will suit one of my pups, or not. My puppies are raised in a very loving home environment. They are born in a bedroom and I sleep next to them so as to be on hand should any problems develop. When they are approximately 2 ½ weeks old, they move into a series of larger puppy areas - in the house and on the veranda during the day; and at night they sleep in a cage on my bed (!). I always sleep right next to my puppies to make sure they are safe. and I spend a huge amount of time with them (they are fantastic time-wasters). They always amaze me with their affection and love of human company- from before they even open their eyes. Italian Greyhounds truly love their people, and thrive on human companionship and affection. The following questions are being asked of you so that I can be happy my puppies are going to new homes where they will become part of their new family, and be cared for in a way compatible with their early life. I want you to tell me why you think you will make a wonderful Italian Greyhound owner. These questions will also help ensure the right placement of each puppy is made by bringing the various requirements of both the puppy and his or her new owner(s) into perspective, BEFORE a choice is made. I hope you will agree that the animal's welfare must be my foremost consideration in choosing a placement, and I apologise for the large number of questions. Some of the questions below are the result of problems other breeders have experienced when new homes did not work out. Generally these problems arose because of lack of knowledge and/or communication, and I desperately want to avoid this happening. If more convenient, copy and paste this questionnaire into an email and send it to me at ozziewhippets@yahoo.com.au. Contact details: 1. Name:... 2. E-mail Address:... 3. Address:... 4. Phone, home:... 5. Phone, work:... 6. Phone, mobile:... Continued on page 2 Kosmos Sighthounds : Puppy Questionnaire Page 1 of 5
About Italian Greyhounds: 7. Have you had an Italian Greyhound before? If not, what attracted you to Italian Greyhounds, and why did you choose this breed? 8. How many Italian Greyhounds have you met?... 9. What reference materials have you read?... 10. Have you come across or joined any Italian Greyhound groups on Facebook where much information and news is exchanged? (If not I can suggest pages)... 11. How did you find Kosmos Sighthounds and what, in particular, appeals to you about my pups?... About you, your family and your home: 12. Your Occupation:... 13. Your Spouse s Occupation:... 14. Name and contact number of any referees I could speak to: 15. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time? 16. Do you live in a house / apartment?... 17. If renting, do you have your landlord s permission to have a dog? 18. Please list his/her name, address, and phone number: 19. How long have you lived at your current address?... 20. How many adults live in your home?... 21. Do you have any children? 22. Ages of children in the home:... 23. Does anyone in your household have allergies to dogs? If yes, to what and how severe? 24. Is everybody in your family keen to get a new puppy? Kosmos Sighthounds : Puppy Questionnaire Page 2 of 5
25. Do you currently have any pets in your home? If so, please list them (ages, sex, breed, species): 26. Do you have a veterinarian? 27. If so, please provide name, address, and phone number: 28. Have you ever owned a dog before? 29. If yes, what dog(s) have you had, and what happened to the dog(s)? (i.e. how long did they live? What were the circumstances of their deaths/disposal?)... 30. Have you ever returned a dog to the breeder? If so, what were the circumstances? 31. Have you ever given a dog away or taken one to a pound or shelter? If so, what were the circumstances?... 32. If your family circumstances change (new baby, change of residence or job), what will happen to the dog?... Conditions for your dog(s): 33. Do you have a yard? ; If so, how large?... Is your yard completely fenced with secure fencing? ; How high??... If not, how do you plan to exercise your dog?... Would you be willing to build a secure run for the puppy to be in when not being safely supervised for its safety? 34. General description of your provisions for dogs, where dogs sleep, hang out; where they are not allowed to be):... 35. What do you expect the activity level of this breed to be? (very high / high / moderate / below average)... 36. What behaviours would you consider unacceptable.... 37. What would happen if this puppy developed physical or behavioural problems that you did not expect?... Kosmos Sighthounds : Puppy Questionnaire Page 3 of 5
38. Are you interested in a male or female puppy?... Why?... 39. Who will be the primary care giver for your puppy?... 40. What do you feed and why?... 41. Where will you puppy spend most of its time? (inside the house / outside in fenced yard / combination of both e.g. house with dog door access / other). Specifically: a) Where will the puppy be kept during the day... b) Is anyone home during the day and will there be someone available to feed and exercise the puppy during the day?... c) How many hours (per day) on the average will the puppy be left alone?... d) Where will your puppy spend the time when no one is at home?... e) How many hours a day will the puppy be kept outside?... f) How will he be confined when he is outside?... g) Where will the puppy be kept during the night?... h) Where will your puppy stay if you go away (e.g. on holiday)?... 42. Describe your typical day & lifestyle, including your work schedule, and how a puppy's needs will be met.... 43. Have you ever house trained a dog before and how do you plan to housebreak your puppy? 44. Are you going to crate-train your puppy? 45. Do you understand the difference between limited and full registration? 46. Do you understand that my puppies are sold on condition that they are not to be bred from, are to be neutered when mature and that I offer a rebate of $200 when a Sterilisation Certificate is provided? 47. Are you willing to abide by a contract that specifies matters regarding registrations, health, breeding, and general care requirements? 48. Are you aware that early desexing may cause a pup to grow bigger than it would have had it been desexed once more mature? 49. Are you agreeable to neutering/spaying at 8 to 12 months old to ensure your pup has matured physically? Kosmos Sighthounds : Puppy Questionnaire Page 4 of 5
50. Do you accept that although breeders make every effort to breed dogs that conform to the breed standard, some individuals may mature much bigger or smaller than expected? 51. Are you willing to keep the dog on heartworm preventative and safe flea/tick control products? Pet Health Insurance: In spite of the best care and the best breeding practices, health problems may occur that require surgery or extensive, expensive treatment. Puppies come with free 6 week accident and illness insurance cover from Petplan, and I strongly encourage people taking on a Kosmos puppy to take out a full annual policy and continue cover after the free 6 weeks. I quote from Petplan: With the Petplan Genuine Covered for Life guarantee, any new owner that takes out a full annual policy and has a claim accepted, as long as they renew their policy each year, will have the peace of mind of cover for any life-long, chronic or reoccurring illness or injury for the rest of the their puppy s life. Those not wishing to continue cover will need to prove to me that they have alternative arrangements in place in case of an unexpected emergency, which could otherwise threaten a puppy s life if its owner cannot afford the appropriate veterinary treatment. 52. Do you plan on taking out insurance cover for your puppy? 53. If you do not plan to take out insurance cover, can you afford good veterinary care and are you willing to invest in your puppy in the event of health problems? 54. Pease detail your arrangements for an expensive veterinary emergency.... 55. What do you expect from me as your pup's breeder?... 56. Are you willing to stay in close contact with me, openly discuss any behaviour or health problems you have, and agree to give me right of first refusal should you be unable/ unwilling to keep the dog? 57. Is there any additional information you would like to share?... 58. What questions/concerns do you have for me?... Kosmos Sighthounds : Puppy Questionnaire Page 5 of 5